By Andy Demetra | Voice of the Yellow Jackets
That team didn’t disappear.
Damon Stoudamire knows it. His players do, too. The one that played Duke within one possession in the final minute in Durham, and silenced a hot-shooting NC State in Raleigh, and drilled 8 of 11 threes against a Marist squad that ranks second in the country in three-point defense.
If Georgia Tech looks, they’ll still see that team. But lack of confidence can cause the image in the mirror to become cloudy, for the colors to dull and the edges to blur, until the image staring back at them is unrecognizable. And as his team prepares to face No. 14 Virginia (22-3, 10-2 ACC) at McCamish Pavilion, Georgia Tech’s head coach wants his players to rediscover that team in the mirror again.
“The one thing that I’ve been trying to do is just instill confidence in each guy, because that’s bigger than anything. And then collectively, you’ve got to have trust with your teammates,” Stoudamire said on his radio show.
“We’ve got to do the things we were doing when we were right there winning games and we were in games,” he added.
Lead with confidence, sustain the competitiveness, and who knows? Georgia Tech may like what it sees by the end of the night in Atlanta.
Enjoy the top notes from my chart as Tech clocks in for another late shift at McCamish (9:00 p.m. ET, Georgia Tech Sports Network).
Kowacie Reeves Jr. and the Yellow Jackets took Duke to the final minute in Durham. (photo by Keith Lucas)
Georgia Tech snapped a 13-game losing streak to Virginia last season in the second round of the ACC Tournament.
The team they’ll face this week scarcely resembles the one they beat in Charlotte. Welcome to the post-Pack Line era of Virginia basketball: new head coach Ryan Odom reshaped his roster around size and pace, and at 84.1 points per game, the Cavaliers enter McCamish with their highest scoring average since 2000-01.
Having a roster of grown men doesn’t hurt – Virginia has an astonishing five players in its rotation who are 23 years or older. The Cavaliers run a sound, stretchy system, with cerebral, inside-out bigs and players who excel at making “plus one passes” (the Cavaliers have the highest percentage of assisted field goals in the ACC). Their top two scorers, 6-9 forward Thijs De Ridder (15.7 ppg) and 6-5 guard Malik Thomas (12.2 ppg), have only averaged 8 points apiece on a combined 30% shooting over the last three games, which may put Tech in the crosshairs early. De Ridder is a broad-shouldered, three-level scorer, while Thomas plays off him as a crafty, sturdy, downhill driver. Isaac McKneely’s three-point shooting entered the portal this offseason, but incoming transfer Jacari White (45.2% 3pt.) sank a school record 12 straight three-pointers earlier this year.
Georgia Tech hasn’t played in gaps as well as they’ve liked lately, leading to some big three-point shooting nights from opponents. Can the Jackets stay connected against a Cavaliers team that requires a high level of concentration on defense? Can they not overreact on closeouts and stay undaunted if the Cavs takes advantage of some switches in the post? Pay attention to those areas on Wednesday.
Akai Fleming is averaging 9.6 points per game in ACC play. (photo by Danny Karnik)
In the last four games, Akai Fleming has scored a total of 12 points in the first half.
In the second half, he’s averaging 12 points.
Akai Fleming – Last 4 games
1st Half: 12 points
2nd Half: 48 points
Fleming and the Jackets now face a forbidding Virginia defense that ranks sixth nationally in blocks. 7-foot Kansas State transfer Ugonna Onyenso in particular can be a ceiling fan underneath (2.8 bpg, #8 NCAA). That rim protection allows the Cavaliers’ guards to take risks on the perimeter, and their versatility also enables them to run out on shooters without much drop-off – not only does Virginia rank among the best in the nation at blocking shots, they rank 19th nationally in three-point defense (29.8%).
Georgia Tech has struggled to finish at the rim, but they remain one of the better three-point shooting teams in conference play (38.4%). Among the keys for Wednesday: play off two feet, don’t overcommit on dribble drives, and make the next read. Shot selection will be key – Tech has to avoid the type of “home run” shot attempts that Virginia’s defense can induce.
Eric Chatfield Jr. earned his first collegiate start at Notre Dame. (photo by Danny Karnik)
They may strain the cliché to the point of exhaustion. But Virginia has undergone one of the most dramatic rebounds in the country in – well, rebounding.
Virginia – Offensive Rebounding %
Year Percentage NCAA Rank
2024-25: 22.4% #350
2025-26: 39.7% #3
Between De Ridder, Onyenso, 7-footer Johann Grünloh, and an array of active guards, the Cavaliers can devour boards and deflate opponents with second chances.
It may be a challenge for a Georgia Tech team that allowed its second highest offensive rebounding percentage of the season to Notre Dame. But consider this: after Virginia, the ACC team with the next highest offensive rebounding percentage is Miami.
Georgia Tech held the Hurricanes to their lowest OR% of the season (25.0%).
His first half double-double against Notre Dame was impressive, but rebounding can’t be Baye Ndongo’s responsibility alone. Can the Jackets get the guard rebounds, out-of-area rebounds, and hustle rebounds they need to sand down some of Virginia’s dominance on the glass? Rebounds can also kickstart Tech’s transition game; Virginia has occasionally been vulnerable in that area.
Virginia’s leader in assists, senior guard Dallin Hall, averaged 6.8 points per game last year for BYU.
Among the graduate assistants he scrimmaged against in practice last season? Former Georgia Tech guard Kyle Sturdivant, who spent the 2024-25 season on the Cougars’ staff. Sturdivant also has a close relationship with Tech freshman Eric Chatfield Jr., who made his first career start against Notre Dame. Chatfield’s dad trained Sturdivant growing up and also coached him in AAU ball in high school.
Now that we’re prepared, we hope you are as well. Join us for pregame coverage starting with the “Ramblin’ Wreck Tip-off Show” at 8:30 p.m. ET on the Georgia Tech Sports Network. See you at McCamish.
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